Chapter 268: The Art of Photography

(Chapter 254 has been unlocked, hehe!)

Click!

Click, click…

The flash repeatedly lit up in the bedroom, flashing briefly, capturing this beautiful scene.

Lei En snapped more than a dozen photos in one go, then sat back down, smiling, "All done, but developing the photos takes two or three hours; you'll be able to see them by noon."

Viola finally caught on, a flush spreading across her face, both embarrassed and angry, "You actually took these kinds of photos of me."

"Uh… this is art!"

Lei En fiddled with the Camera, his eyes showing no trace of malice.

"Art?" The Half-elf, as a follower of the Longhaired Lady, takes every clerical matter of the Longhaired Lady seriously, "Is taking photos considered art?"

"Of course it counts." Lei En explained solemnly, "This isn't just simple photography; I call it photography. The art of photography is to record beautiful moments, it can reflect the myriad facets of life and natural phenomena, convey the photographer's thoughts and emotions, embody aesthetic style, and produce photos with artistic impact."

"Photography is like painting or music; it's an entirely new art form."

Viola's eyes gradually brightened, her expression turning contemplative as she murmured, "Photography art… expressing feelings, recording life…"

As the Divine Chosen of the Longhaired Lady, she possesses great artistic talent and quickly grasped the concept of photography, convinced that it truly is an art!

If photography art becomes popular, it will surely greatly aid the spread of the Longhaired Lady's faith.

Lei En let out two low chuckles.

Photography truly is an art, and quite lofty; he himself doesn't understand it well, being almost a layman, but that doesn't stop him from making a Camera.

Ai Lun E Si already has a Camera, but it uses the "wet-plate photography method," a relatively backward technique; taking a photo requires holding a pose motionless for several minutes, the resulting images aren't very clear, and moving is cumbersome.

Nevertheless, photo studios have been popular in the Empire for many years.

Lei En had seen a carriage‑style mobile photo tent on Longshande Street last year, and he thought then that creating a portable Camera could replace the wet‑plate method and earn countless Gold Shields.

Only after meeting Viola did he change his mind and switch to a Phonograph.

With his current abilities, making a Camera isn't hard; the key is the film roll, the light‑sensitive material, needing to find silver bromide to replace the cotton glue used in the wet‑plate method.

From hundreds of alchemical ingredients, Lei En synthesized silver bromide and then successfully "invented" film and a Camera, taking just over half a month in total.

Lei En named it the Kodak Camera.

Compared with those bulky box Cameras, the Kodak Camera's advantages are huge: it's lightweight and compact, anyone can use it without learning techniques—just press the shutter.

He pulled a stack of photos from his ring, taken casually before and then developed.

"Take a look."

Viola took the photos and saw that they were far clearer than any she had seen before; although still black and white, the people and scenes were vivid, every expression, every brick, even every leaf rendered distinctly.

"Photos can be this clear?"

Viola, surprised, took the Camera, mimicked Lei En's method, and shot a few pictures in the room.

"This is so convenient!"

She instantly realized that once the Camera hits the market, it will surely replace those photo studios, just like the Phonograph, monopolizing an entire industry.

"Lei En, what's the cost of a single Camera?" Viola asked, a bit excited.

"If mass‑produced, it can be kept under one Gold Shield."

"Madam, you're first!"

Viola suddenly blurted out, "The cheaper the Camera, the easier it sells; more people can afford it, creating a huge market and yielding greater profit."

At the same time, this would also promote the development of photography art, gaining more followers for the Longhaired Lady.

The benefits the Camera brings are comparable to those of the Phonograph.

Viola didn't know what to say; Lei En isn't a follower of the Longhaired Lady, yet he has consecutively presented two inventions comparable to divine artifacts.

Who truly qualifies to become the Longhaired Lady's Divine Chosen…

Viola's expression grew complex as she sighed, "You always manage to give me an enormous surprise; it far exceeds anything I could give you, even if my body and soul belong to you, it still feels insufficient."

"Just a gift," Lei En said with a calm smile, "As long as you like it, that's enough."

The Half-elf was moved beyond words, a glimmer of tears in her eyes.

Lei En continued, "I named it the 'Kodak' Camera; it sounds like the click of a shutter, simple and memorable."

"I've already written the Camera's production method into a booklet, which I'll give you shortly. If anything's unclear, you can consult Kai Nieji; the most critical secret inside is the film material, so strict confidentiality is required."

"I suggest you establish a new company, independent of the Silver Star Record Company."

"Of course, we'll still allocate some shares to the Duke, but not too many. I've already consulted the teacher; the Kodak Company can be under the teacher's name, just give the teacher a ten‑percent stake."

"As for the exact share distribution, handle it as you see fit."

"If your capital falls short, I can front ten‑million Gold Shields for the initial investment."

"Also the Camera's business model is similar to the Phonograph's, with some detail differences. The Camera will be priced at about two Gold Shields; each unit comes with a roll of film capable of fifty shots. When the film is used up and can't be exposed further, customers return the Camera to the company for us to develop the photos, for a fee."

"Our revenue from selling film rolls actually exceeds that from selling the Camera itself."

"Currently the Camera can only shoot black‑and‑white photos; I'll later develop color technology, but only after most interested customers have bought the Camera will we release a color version, allowing us to sell the Camera again."

"Additionally, use your position in the Beauty and Goodness Church to have Art Associations across the lands hold photography art exhibitions, promote the Camera, and get more people to learn this brand‑new art…"

Lei En spoke confidently, summarizing his past‑life experience without reservation.

Viola listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, though her mind drifted a bit.

She suddenly felt deep regret.

Regarding the Camera and the company's strategy, such a detailed plan shows Lei En had prepared it for a long time, not merely as compensation because I allowed him to seek a lover.

For such an important invention, he treated it as a gift, proving that my place in his heart cannot be measured by Gold Shields or anything else.

Viola recalled Lei En's earlier words, "I'm different from other men," and indeed he was unlike any ordinary man.

She realized she might have missed the chance to become the "only one," and she had voluntarily given it up.

"Goddess! What have I done?" A wave of remorse gnawed at Viola's heart; she wanted to retract her earlier words but couldn't bring herself to speak.

Lei En sensed that her soul color was changing violently, thinking she was overly moved.

He stopped and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Viola inhaled through her nose, lightly wiped the corner of her eye, and a radiant, stunning smile appeared on her face: "I'm just so happy, I really wish I could stay by your side forever."

"It's actually not difficult," Lei En laughed, "When I return from the Sain Plateau, I'll build a teleportation array in Winter Thunder Fortress that connects to my castle, but each teleport consumes magical materials, and the array itself isn't cheap…"

Before he finished, Viola decisively said, "I'll cover the money for building the teleportation array, no matter how expensive it is."

"Alright, I'll give you a list of materials; you prepare them in advance," Lei En agreed.

This kind of long‑distance teleportation array requires at least 50,000 Gold Shields to construct, and the most crucial item is the Astral Crystal Pillar; however, a single Astral Crystal Pillar as a hub suffices, allowing connection to multiple arrays.

With Lei En's mastery of teleportation technology, he can link up to twelve teleportation sites simultaneously.

In his plan, every future teleportation array will be utilized, placed worldwide, with his own castle as the hub, forming an ultra‑long‑distance instant transportation network, even capable of projecting his power to the New Continent and the Other Plane!

I went back to the countryside today and arrived home very late, so there's only one chapter; tomorrow will be a normal update.

Double‑ticket period, please give me monthly tickets!

(End of chapter)